Latest update November 8th, 2024 1:00 AM
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GGDMA calls on police to keep miners safe in wake of Arimu backdam murder
Murdered, Zaheer Mohammed Sheriff and Donovan Washington
Kaieteur News – The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) is calling on the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to take every action necessary to keep miners safe. The statement by the mining body comes after the brutal murder of two miners on Sunday at Arimu Backdam, Region Seven.
“We urge all our miners to take full security precautions and call on the Guyana Police Force to take the necessary actions so that our interior can be safe for miners to conduct business,” the statement said while expressing its condolences to the families of the murdered men.
On Sunday, 50-year-old Zaheer Mohamed Sheriff, a prominent miner and businessman and his colleague 26-year-old Donovan Washington were on Sunday murdered by bandits while returning from Arimu Backdam, Cuyuni River, Region Seven.
Mohammed, a devout Muslim and resident of Byderado Road, Bartica, Region Seven owns a land dredge in the backdam. He reportedly started his day early Sunday with prayers at the Masjid in Bartica before leaving with Washington for Arimu Backdam on an ATV (four-wheel bike). The duo had gone into the backdam to wash down [a process of washing to separate gold from mats placed in a sluice box to trap the precious metal] and bring out production (the gold).
According to police reports, they left with 102 ounces of raw gold worth some $37M but at around 10:00hrs, they were both shot dead and the gold stolen. The dead businessman’s General Manager (GM) Joel Stephen, 39, told police that Mohammed and Washington were killed some five minutes after leaving camp. He recalled hearing “several loud explosions which he suspected to be gunshots”, police said.
Stephen reportedly followed the directions of the sounds and after walking for 500 meters away from the camp, he found his boss and Washington dead in the trail with visible gunshot wounds to their bodies.
Not only did he discover that the gold they were carrying was gone but Mohammed’s two licensed guns, a .32 pistol and a 12-gauge shotgun, were stolen. He reported the matter immediately to the Bartica Police Station and ranks were sent in to investigate.
Crime sleuths noted that Mohammed bore four gunshot wounds to his body, one to his chest, another to his right thigh, a third to his right arm and a fourth to his left upper back while Washington’s body was riddled. Police counted 13 bullet holes about his body. At the scene, investigators found a .32 magazine with eight live matching rounds, seven 9mm spent shells and three .32 spent shells. Their bodies have been transported to Bartica as detectives continue their investigation.
Police have learnt so far that the businessman and his worker were attacked by two masked men on a Red ATV (four-wheel bike). Residents of Bartica described the two dead men as peaceful souls and respected individuals of their community. They urged the police to take swift action to apprehend the suspects responsible for their killings.
Meanwhile, the GGDMA said it is deeply saddened by the robbery and cold-blooded killing of Sheriff and Washington.
“The Association would like to express its deepest condolences to the families of the late Mohamed Sheriff and Donovan Washington whose lives were snatched away from them by these animals as the miner conducted his business. The GGDMA would like to express its condolences to the families and friends of the late Mohamed Sheriff (aka Zaheer) and his colleague Donovan Washington and calls on the Authorities to have a proper investigation into this incident,” the Association said.
Further, the Association reminded that in December 2022, Ricky Ambrose, Sworn Land Surveyor and Ranger suffered a similar fate when he was robbed of a quantity of raw gold and cash and killed at Arimu Backdam.
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